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India - Southern: Birds & Wildlife of the Western Ghats

© Malabar Whistling Thrush by Adam Riley
India - Southern: Birds & Wildlife of the Western Ghats 2027

11 Jan 2027 - 24 Jan 2027 (14 days)

USD4,995 NO SPACES AVAILABLE

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Tour Leader: Glen Valentine

Wait List

Tour Price (Per person): USD4,995 (GBP3,788 * EUR4,355 * AUD7,098)

Single Supplement: USD890 (GBP675 * EUR776 * AUD1,265)

This tour pairs with: India - Andaman Islands Extension 2027

Hemming the rugged lands of southern India are the impressive Western Ghats Mountains, a land of endless valleys, rolling tea estates and breathtaking highland vistas, well-known for harbouring a superb range of highly localised endemic birds and a host of special mammals. This comprehensive tour showcases many of these special creatures: the gorgeous Indian Pitta, Nilgiri Laughingthrush, Nilgiri Wood Pigeon, rare Sri Lanka Frogmouth, exquisite Malabar Trogon, Malabar Whistling Thrush, and Heart-spotted Woodpecker are just some of the incredible birds we will search for. The mammal possibilities are no less enticing, with the stunning Lion-tailed Macaque, Bengal Tiger, Chole Indian Elephant and Gaur (Indian Bison) all high on our target list. Join us for an unbeatable birding exploration to the southern part of this immense and extremely rewarding nation!

Top Birds

Painted Bush Quail; Red Spurfowl; Nilgiri Wood, Malabar Imperial & Grey-fronted Green Pigeons; Malabar Grey & Great Hornbills; Malabar & White-cheeked Barbets; Blue-winged Parakeet; Malabar Woodshrike; White-spotted Fantail; White-bellied Treepie; Indian Black-lored Tit; Malabar Lark; Grey-headed, Flame-throated & Yellow-throated Bulbuls; Broad-tailed Grassbird; Indian Scimitar Babbler; Dark-fronted & Rufous Babblers; Wayanad, Nilgiri & Palani Laughingthrushes; Malabar Starling; Nilgiri Thrush; White-bellied Blue, Black-and-orange & Nilgiri Flycatchers; Nilgiri Blue & White-bellied Blue Robins; Malabar Whistling Thrush; Nilgiri Flowerpecker; Crimson-backed Sunbird; Nilgiri Pipit; Indian Pitta; Sri Lanka Frogmouth; Malabar Trogon; Heart-spotted & White-naped Woodpeckers; Malabar Flameback; White-bellied Minivet.

Top Mammals

Bengal Tiger; Lion-tailed & Toque Macaques; Nilgiri Langur; Dhole; Gaur (Indian Bison); Nilgiri Tahr; Asian Elephant; Indian & Grizzled Giant Squirrels; Sloth Bear and Leopard.

Habitats Covered

sholas (montane forest patches), deciduous (teak-dominated) woodlands, bamboo forest, lakes, wetlands, montane grassland, savanna & thickets

Expected Climate

Very pleasant: warm during day, cool at night, rain not expected

Max Group Size

8 with 1 Rockjumper leader or 12 with 2 Rockjumper leaders

Tour Pace & Walking

MODERATE TO CHALLENGING: This tour requires a good level of fitness, stamina, and overall health. It’s best suited for experienced birders who are comfortable with a more active itinerary. Please note that it may not be ideal for avid photographers, new birders, or those with mobility or health concerns.

Moderate to comfortable. Suitable for most birding / wildlife interest levels. India is an assault on the senses first time around, requiring a little tolerance to begin with.

Accommodation

Comfortable.

Ease of Birding

Moderate. Mostly forest & forest edge, some open savanna. Several key endemics & localised species that may require repetitive effort.

Number of Species Expected

+-250

Other Attractions

Rolling hills & valleys that are mostly naturally forested but in some areas are dominated by tea and other spice plantations, roadside temples & shrines, Western Ghats Mountains, some of the most delicious food on Earth if you like curries

Photographic Opportunities

Worthwhile to good. No dedicated hides.

What our clients say about us

Glen Valentine
BG, Pvt Castleman India

This was a great trip. A terrific itinerary and we saw lots of birds and we saw tigers at Ranthambhore and Corbett. Glen and [the local leader] were excellent guides—great spotting skills, and they made sure everyone saw the bird. The logistics worked very well because Glen and [the local leader] were a great team.

Dušan Brinkhuizen
MW, India - Western: Desert Specials 2026

Feedback for India – Western Deserts 2026 Overall, this was quite a trip. I had gone on the India – Northern Birds & Tigers just prior to this trip, so the number of new birds for us was low. However, we got most of the birds we were hoping for, a testament to Dušan and the highly-skilled local guides. We were well taken care of during the trip and all the accommodations were first class. The group were all serious birders, and we all got along together well and were able to contribute to the very respectful tally of the birds. The travel was a lot more than I anticipated. Several days were essentially all driving, with a brief stop or two to stretch and check for birds. I strongly recommend adding a day at Mt. Abu. We had only a few hours of birding there, sandwiched between very long drives. Adding a day there will be a great relief from spending so much time in the bus and allow us to catch up a bit on our sleep. I did a survey among our group and all greed that adding a day would be a great relief and would not keep any of us from choosing the trip. The birds were nearby, which helped a lot as we didn’t have a long drive to get to the birds. One location in particular, Desert National Park, was almost two hours. A closer accommodation needs to be scouted out. Dušan did a great job, and his enthusiasm kept us going when sleep depravation was hitting us. The guy never wanted to quit. We got all three mega birds, the Hypocolius, the Indian Spotted Creeper, and the Forest Owlet, quite well. All three were a great experience, especially the Hypocolius, as most of the group were family listers. We even had one of our group finish off the families during the trip! Thanks for offering and recommending this trip.

xPeter Kaestner
JR, India 2020

This trip was great! We were told the trip should generate about 250 bird species and our total was very close. Peter was excellent at finding birds, leading us and keeping a positive group atmosphere. The local guides also were competent and helpful. Accommodations are not an important aspect of a trip to me but the ones we stayed at were excellent, as were the meals. The trip was an excellent introduction to India for me tho I was happy to have it very much concentrate on birding.

Nigel Redman
MC, India 2023

This was the first group birding tour Ive ever taken (meaning, more than myself and either one or two other persons). Rockjumper and Nigel Redman made it a very pleasurable experience, with wonderful birds, beautiful landscapes, and good flexibility and adaptability to the various challenges and obstacles thrown our way on the trip. I heartily recommend both this tour and Nigel Redman as a tour leader! I would happily go on any tour for which Nigel was the leader; his knowledge of ornithology, history, and birding folklore is encycylopedic, and his easy humor and casual nature made for happy hours in our vehicles or over dinner tables (this, in contrast to the group next to us in some of the dining halls, where hardly a word was spoken by any tour member when the trip leader was going through the days list; that was a dictatorship; Nigels tour was a democracy in many ways.)

David Hoddinott
PJ, Andaman Islands 2018

The Andaman Islands were a first for RockJumper and a first for David Hoddinott. It was an incredible experience and also exciting to share the first of all new endemics  with David .

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